Structural element for caskets



NOV. 25, 1952 R CHRIS-HAN 2,618,835

STRUCTURAL ELEMENT FOR GASKETS Filed Jan. 20, 1951 INVENTOR.

I Bdyzze/ %Z-YM4% Patented Nov. 25, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFI CE STRUCTURAL ELEMENT FOR GASKETS Alfred R. Christian, River Forest, Ill.

Application January 20, 1951, Serial No. 206,971

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a structural element and has particular reference to the provision of a structural element that finds application in the construction of caskets.

In the construction of the usual type of casket there is provided amovable top section that is divided into two separate elements. Thus one of the top elements may be closed to concealthe remains in the lower portion of the casket and the other portion may be removed so that the head and mid-section of the remains may be viewed prior to the last rites. It is also the usual practice to provide the walls of the upper head portion of the casket with a'plurality of hinged wing members that may be folded down so that a fuller view of the remains may be had. These wing sections are usually covered ontheinside with silk, plush or other decorative fabric to provide a pleasing appearance. When it is desired to close the casket the wing members at the head are swung upwardly on their hinges to produce a continuous top edge for the casket and thereafter the head top member is applied in the usual manner.

This invention has particular adaptability in the construction of the aforementioned wings on caskets. However, the invention also finds applicability in the construction of the top closures of caskets and of other similar articles. In a usual form of casket construction these wings and top members may be formed of sheet metal in the form of channels and an object of this invention is the provision of a means for closing the ends of these channels, thus giving a solid appearance to the wing or top member as the case may be.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a structural element particularly suitable for use in casket construction which may be readily fabricated on a mass production basis.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an end plate for a channel-shaped element which may be readily secured to the end of the element, thus closing it in a desired manner.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of an end plate for a wing member of a casket, said end plate being readily secured to the end of the wing member and including bendable tabs for holding a tacking slat within the channel-shaped wing.

Further and additional objects will appear from the following description, the accompanying drawing and the appended claims.

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, a structural element is provided which .Fig. 1.

. 2 comprises a channel member and an end plate closing at least one end of and nesting within the channel member, said end plate having a peripheral flange extending outwardly in faceto-face relationship with the inner side walls of the channel member and rigidly secured thereto by spot-Welding or other means. A further feature of this invention resides in the provision of .an inwardly extending fiange on the end plate being ofiset toward the bottom wall of the channel member and provided with bendable tabs which are suitable for securing one or more tacking slats within the channel member. In casket constructions these tacking slats are particularly useful for securing silk or other decorative fabric to the wing portions of the casket. This invention embraces within its scope not only the structural element including the channel member as above indicated, but also the end plate employed in the formation of the element.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference will now be made to the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a casket showing a foot top member hinged to the open position with the head top member removed and showing two of the wings in the head end of the casket folded, to an outward position;

Fig. 2 is a detailed perspective view ofthe end of one of the wing members;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

vFig. 4 is a disassembled perspective view ofthe elements shown in Fig. 2 indicating the manner in which the end plate is fitted into the channelshaped wing member; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the end plate.

.With particular reference to the drawing, this invention finds particular applicability in the constructionof caskets such as that depicted in This casket comprises a bottom [0, side walls 12 and I4, and end walls l6 andv I8. Afoot top member 20 is hinged to the upper foot-portion of .the wall I 2 in any desired mannerand may be raised to place the body of the deceased in the casket and then closed so as to conceal the. lower portion of the body. The top-of the casket adjacent the head is not shown in the drawing but it will be understood that it is merely atop memberthat is placed in positionprior to burial and in-general may. be of the same configurationjas the foot top member 20.

In the form of the casket shown l, the upper edge of the end. wall I 8 and the upper edges of the head ends of the side walls l2 and Marc provided with wingjmembers 22, 24 and 26, one

of which is detailed in Figs. 2 to 5. These wing members are hinged to the end and side walls in the manner shown so that they may be folded outwardly to provide a more complete view of the head and mid-section of the body lying within the casket. It will be understood that in actual use the upper surfaces of the wing members and the hinges are covered with silk or other decorative fabric in order to provide a pleasing appearance and to conceal the interior construction of the Wing and its mode of attachment to the side and end walls of the casket.

The Wing members themselves each comprise an elongated channel stamped from metal having a bottom wall 28 and opposing side walls 30 and 32. Hinges 34 are Welded or otherwise secured to the wing members in order to provide means for securing the wings to the upper surfaces of the walls of the casket. As shown in the drawing, side wall 30 of the wing is provided with a decorative longitudinal bead 36 and each of the side walls 30 and 32 is provided with inturned flanges 38 and 40.

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, the channel-shaped wing members are closed at each end by an end plate, one form of which is detailed in perspective view in Fig. 5. The end plate there shown comprises a main body portion 42 and an outwardly extending peripheral flange 44 extending around three sides of the plate 42. The flange 44 and the body portion 42 are shaped at 46 in a manner to permit the end plate to fit within the bead 36 of the wing when the end plate is nested therewithin. The fourth side of the end plate 42 is provided with an inwardly extending flange 48 having a downwardly depending skirt 50 and another inwardly extending flange portion 52, thus providing an integral ofiset section for the end plate. The flange 52 is provided with a pair of bendable tab members 54 which are struck out from the surface of the flange member 52 and may be bent to secure a pair of longitudinal wooden slats 56 within the channel of the wing member in the manner most readily seen in Figs. 2 and 3. These slats 56 serve as means for tacking silk (not shown) to the surface of the wing member which is draped back into the casket and serves to conceal the construction of the wing member and its mode of attachment to the walls I2, l4 and ll! of the casket.

In the modification of the structural element including the end plate shown in Figs. 2 through 5, it will be noted that this is for a corner construction so that the main body portion 42 of the end plate extends at an oblique angle to the iongitudinal axis of the wing member and to the side and end walls of the casket. This is necessary in order to permit a tight fit at the upper corners of the casket when the wings are hinged upwardly to the closed position as will be readily understood in the art. If desired, the surfaces of the end plates 42 may be embossed (not shown) with a suitable wreath or cross to provide a decorative effect. It will be understood, however, that the main body portions of those end plates at the ends of the wings adjacent the mid-sections of the side walls of the casket will be substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the wing members and the side walls in order to provide an unbroken and smooth continuation of the upper surface of the casket when the wings are folded into the closed position.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that there has been provided a structural element which is particularly suitable for use in casket construction. The structural element may be readily assembled merely by slip-fitting or nesting the end plate transversely into the open end of the wing channel and thereafter spot-welding or otherwise securing the end plate in position through the flanges 44 and the bottom 28 and side walls and 32 of the wing channel. In this position the main body portion 42 of the plate closes the end of the channel and is spaced inwardly from the end edges thereof. The flanges 44 are formed to lie against the walls 28, 30 and 32 in face-to-face relationship so that the spotwelding or other securing operation may be readily effected inasmuch as the surfaces to be secured are readily accessible from the ends of the channel member. The flange 48, the skirt 5!] and the flange 52 provide a reinforcement for the wing member when the end plate is in place and the offset flange 52 permits the ends of the tacking slats to be held by the tongues 54 without projecting outwardly beyond the flanges 38 and of the wing section.

In the foregoing the invention has been described primarily with reference to the construction of a wing section for the casket. However, the invention also has applicability in the provision of an enclosure for a channel-shaped top member. Thus with reference to Fig. 1, the top member 20 is essentially channel-shaped in cross section and it is closed at its central end by means of a plate 58 having an outwardly extending peripheral flange 60 and an inwardly extending peripheral flange 62. The flange 6%] provides means for directly spot-welding the end plate in position with respect to the top member, and the flange 62 provides a reinforcement for the top structure. If desired, the plate 58 may be suitably embossed (not shown) to provide a decorative effect.

While particular embodiments of this invention are shown above, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not to be limited thereto, since many modifications may be made, and it is contemplated, therefore, by the appended claims, to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. A structural element comprising a channel member and an end plate having a peripheral flange turned outwardly, said plate nesting within an open end of said channel member and closing same, said flange extending in face-to-face relationship with an inner wall of said channel member and rigidly secured thereto, said plate having an inwardly extending flange on a peripheral edge thereof between the opposite side edges of said channel member, said inwardly extending flange having slat-securing means there- 2. A structural element comprising a channel member having a bottom wall and opposing side walls, a transversely extending end plate closing one end of and nesting within said channel member, said end plate being spaced inwardly from the end edges of said channel member, peripheral flanges on said end plate extending outwardly toward said end edges in face-to-face relationship with said bottom and side walls and rigidly secured thereto, an inwardly extending peripheral flange on said end plate between the longitudinal edges of said side walls, and slatembracing means on said last mentioned flange.

3. A wing member for a casket comprising a channel having a bottom wall and opposing side walls, a transverse end plate closing one end of said channel, said end plate being spaced inwardly from the end edges of said channel, peripheral flanges on said end plate extending outwardly toward said end edges in face-to-face relationship with said bottom and side Walls and rigidly secured thereto, and in inwardly extending peripheral flange on said end plate between the longitudinal edges of said side walls, said last mentioned flange including a portion offset toward the bottom wall of the channel having a slat-engaging tab member.

4. A wing member for a casket comprising a channel having a bottom Wall and opposing side walls, a transverse end plate closing one end of said channel, said end plate being spaced inwardly from the end edges of said channel, peripheral flanges on said end plate extending outwardly toward said end edges in face-to-face relationship with said bottom and side Walls and rigidly secured thereto, a flange on said plate extending inwardly and between the longitudinal edges of said side walls, said last mentioned flange including a portion offset toward the bottom wall of said channel, a slat within said channel adjacent one of said longitudinal edges, and a tab member integral and cooperating with said offset portion retaining said slat in position.

5. A closure plate for a channel member comprising a main body portion, peripheral flanges bounding three sides of the main body ortion and extending at an angle thereto in one direction, and a peripheral flange bounding the fourth side of the main body portion and extending at an angle thereto in the opposite direction, said last mentioned flange including an inwardly offset portion having bendable tabs formed therein.

6. A closure plate for a channel member comprising a main body portion, peripheral flanges bounding three sides of the main body portion and extending at an angle thereto in a common direction, a peripheral flange bounding the fourth side of the main body portion and extending at an angle thereto in the opposite direction, said last mentioned flange including an inwardly extending skirt having an offset flange extending in said opposite direction, and at least one bendable tab struck out from said offset flange.

7. A structural element comprising a channel member, an end plate having a peripheral flange turned outwardly, and a tacking slat within said channel having one end terminating adjacent said end plate and extending parallel to the side walls of said channel, said plate nesting within an open end of said channel member and closing same, said flange extending in faceto-face relationship with an inner wall of said channel member and rigidly secured thereto, said plate including a slat-retaining flange extending inwardly between the opposing side edges of the side walls of said member and including a portion overlying a surface of said slat for retaining the end of said slat within said channel member.

8. A wing member for a casket comprising a channel having a bottom wall and opposing side walls, a transverse end plate closing one end of said channel, said end plate being spaced inwardly from the end edges of said channel, peripheral flanges on said end plate extending outwardly toward said and edges in face-to-face relationship with said bottom and side walls and rigidly secured thereto, a tacking slat within said channel extending parallel to and adjacent a side edge of one of said side walls and having an end terminating adjacent the inner surface of said plate, and a slat retaining flange on said plate extending inwardly between the longitudinal edges of said side walls and including a portion overlying a surface of said slat for retaining the end of said slat within said channel.

ALFRED R. CHRISTIAN.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Mitchell Oct. 3, 1933 Number 

